Natural Resource Industries

  • Forestry and Wood Products
    Forestry is one of Queens’ traditional industries, but the forestry sector continues to innovate and now employs people at various levels in: resource harvesting, lumber production sawmills, biomass production as well as in the spinoff trucking industry.
  • Seafood
    In 2019, Nova Scotia exported $2.3 billion in fish and seafood products to over 80 countries. It’s easy to export large quantities of fresh products with ports that are ice-free year round, and convenient road, rail, and air connections. Daily air service operates to Asia, Europe, and North America.
    Queens has a diverse seafood industry with year-round seafood harvesting, processing and marketing. Lobster, scallops and other shellfish, and groundfish are harvested and processed here. Aquaculture (fin fish) has a limited presence in the waters off Queens Coast.
  • Agriculture
    Agriculture in Queens is valued at just under $2 million, with 35 farms reporting sales over $2500. Nearly half of the industry produces miscellaneous specialty goods and just under a third are involved in beef production. Included in specialty agricultural products are greenhouse operations (some organic) and Christmas trees. There is increased interest in market gardening and some producers are exploring the potential for commercial grape growing. A sector review was completed and presented to Council in September 2021, and the pdf can be downloaded here.
    Between 2011-2016, Queens participated in the major South West Nova Scotia Climate Data Study. 74 weather stations across the region reported temperature, solar radiation, rainfall, and wind data. This combined with favourable soil conditions in parts of the county, highlighted a number of places considered ‘top sites’ in terms of heat accumulation (growing degree days), growing season (frost free period), and winter minimum temperature. More information on the study, can be found at https://www.growsouthwestnovascotia.ca/climate-study.html. The full report is a large 50MB file downloadable here.

Tourism

Tourism is a major and growing industry in Queens. Nova Scotia is full of natural beauty but we think Queens Coast stands out as the pinnacle. From our richly diverse Acadian forests surrounding a myriad of glimmering lakes, the waters flow down powerful rivers to exquisite coastline. Queens Coast is the ideal “escape” destination.
The Region of Queens Municipality values tourism and continues to invest in tourism growth and development through our new brand development and promotion efforts.

Knowledge Economy

The knowledge economy is a new and growing sector in Queens. We recognise the huge importance of robust, scalable high speed internet and are investing heavily in time and money to make it a reality. Many parts of the county are now connected with gigabit fibre-based internet service, and we have active projects that will cover almost the entire county by 2022. Queens is an ideal location to enjoy the best of both worlds – outdoor living away from the crowds combined with online access to world markets in an advantageous time zone.

Wellness and Health Care

As an “escape” destination with an abundance of pristine beaches and wilderness, Queens Coast offers boundless opportunities for business development in the wellness sector. Woodlands and soothing ocean waves provide the perfect backdrop for spas, yoga retreats and other wellness practices.
Queens is fortunate to have Queens General Hospital which offers a 24-hour emergency room a full range of health care professionals at their disposal. Known far and wide for its collaborative approach to health care, Queens General offers excellent care from physicians invested in your health. The same approach can be found in North Queens at the North Queens Community Health Centre, a community developed facility focused on providing care to residents in the Caledonia area.
Queens Coast is also home to a wide variety of health care specialists and services including general practitioners, dentists, massage therapists, chiropractors, psychologists and counselling services, physiotherapists, optometrists, home care services and pharmacies.

Retail
Unique retail, a vibrant farmers’ market and larger, brand names stores make Queens an ideal place for further development.
As Caledonia and the North Queens area position themselves as a Gateway to Kejimkujik National Park and Historic Site, which sees upwards of 65,000 visitors/year, there is significant opportunity for new retail ventures.
While Liverpool is the commercial centre of Queens, there is a delightful mix of independent, local shops scattered throughout the County. There is room for growth in the retail sector and we invite you to explore all corners of the County to find the perfect location for your dream business!